To Choose
by 518914
Summary: Clary thinks she'll never get married. She hates the idea of letting anyone control her life; especially since that what her father has done all her life. But when mysterious Prince Jace and sinister Prince Sebastian come to the kingdom, will things change? Or will she turn them away like everyone else? Read and review!
1. Chapter 1

My first fanfic! Yay! Hope you all enjoy! ❤︎

So I'm going to try to update once a week, and I'm planning on writing the chapters in advance so I can keep to some sort of schedule. Please review if you enjoy this, and I appreciate constructive criticism! Also, I have a pretty solid idea where this is going, but feel free to leave suggestions or ideas! Alright, enough rambling!

Disclaimer: No, I do not own Mortal Instruments. If I were Cassandra Clare do you really think I'd be writing fanfics about my own books? ;)

Chapter 1

With nothing left to do, Clary sat; her hair was brushed, her dress on. She had absolutely no interest in meeting the potential suitors that had come to earn her fancy, knowing full well she'd just turn them away. It was the same thing every week. Princes from all over the country travel to her kingdom, attempting to impress her with their riches. Not that it was really her kingdom. She was the sole heir to the throne, but the kingdom was her father's, and when she married, it would become her husband's, it would never really belong to her. Her father was at his wit's end trying to find a suitor that would appease both Clary and him.

Last week, it was Prince Antonio, from Italy. He was arrogant and foolish, clearly only interested in her money and title. But then again, it was like that with almost every prince who had come to see her so far. Although Clary doubted that even if she did agree to see Antonio her father would deny it. There was no way he would leave to future of his kingdom to such a fool.

She looked out at the courtyard through her window. It was a nice view; she sometimes drew or painted it when she allowed herself to open her sketchbook. If she looked even further, she could see the city surrounding the castle. She used to love going into town, but she had only gone once or twice since her mother died. Now she barely left the castle. Valentine, her father, preferred to keep her hidden away behind the walls of the castle, to 'keep her safe' as he said. Clary suspected he just wanted to keep her away from the townspeople that despised him, as if they would give her ideas. But really, what could they tell he that she didn't already know? She had seen everything he was capable of.

Sighing, she turned away from the window, and looked around the room. Her room was quite large, with many windows. Her bed was across from the door, and there were two large bookcases on either side of it. There was a locked chest at the foot of her bed that she hardly ever opened. In one corner there was a screen with a tub behind it, a sink and mirror, and a large wardrobe with a tall mirror standing near it. In the corner she was in now, there was a dressing table, where she was sitting, a lounge chair where she sometimes read, and a large window, the one that looked out to the courtyard.

She heard footsteps outside the door, and soon enough, her handmaiden, Maia, entered.

"Princess! Time to go!" called Maia. Clary rolled her eyes. _Better just get this over with_ , she thought. She got up from her seat in front of the mirror and went to the door. Maia shut it behind her and they began to walk downstairs to where her 'guests' were waiting.

"Who is it today, Maia?" Clary asked. She thought it would be better to have some idea of them before she dismissed them.

"I'm not quite sure, Princess, they haven't told me anything," Maia answered carefully. The princess could be… temperamental. She didn't want to say anything to upset her, more for fear of the king's retribution than Clary's. Clary had never done anything to Maia, but if the king got the impression that Clary was anything less than pleased with her service, it would be bad news. She would be fired, or worse. The king was a terrifying man, and Clary was his crown jewel. If she were unhappy, the kingdom would be turned upside down until she was happy. Maia suspected that the princess was already deeply unhappy, but she hid it well. Maia only knew since she spent so much time around her. Maia quickly put away these thoughts; after all, it was none of her business. But she was very fond of the princess, and felt bad for her, even though on the surface, Clary was perfectly happy.

"That's strange," mused Clary. Usually they told Maia at least where the princes were from. Clary supposed it didn't really matter; they were almost there anyway.

Valentine came out of nowhere, almost making Clary jump. She was used to him surprising her like this after all these years, but it was hard to supress the instinct to jump away. She knew she couldn't though; any show of weakness from her would not be tolerated.

"Clarissa, darling, are you ready to see the boys?" the king purred. Every time he spoke Clary wanted to scream, hit him, or run away. Maybe all three.

But she forced a smile on her face. She was used to putting on a mask in front of her father, it had been this way for as long as she could remember. She had learned to hold her tongue.

"Yes father. I truly hope they will be more impressive than last week's showing," she said casually, as if she really had the thought of even considering them.

"Oh I most certainly think it will be so. In fact, the princes and their guests will be staying here for some time. They are two most respectable men, both worthy candidates for the throne. I am confident you will pick one of them to be your husband," Valentine smiled, as if he were just making conversation. But his implication was clear.

One of the two princes was to be the future king, no matter Clary's opinion.

Clary felt herself pale. She was suddenly dizzy, and she was scared she might fall over at any second. She thought she at least had some say in her husband. If nothing else, she would get to choose her companion for the rest of her life. But no. Clearly Valentine had other plans. She felt all her hope slip out of her. But she had to continue on as if it didn't faze her. She smiled.

"I am most pleased that you think so highly of them. I look forward to meeting them." Valentine simply smiled, with a grin that looked more like a panther that had his prey in sight than a supportive father.

She had to force herself to move forward. She knew as soon as she walked through those doors, her fate was sealed. She felt as if any moment she could pass out. Maia watched her nervously. Clary felt foolish for even harbouring the delusion that she would be able to choose her husband. She had never chosen anything else before, why would this be any different? As if Valentine would leave a decision like this to anyone, let alone her.

But her husband? She thought even Valentine would let her have a say. She felt sick to her stomach. She would never find true love, she would never be free. Valentine watched her carefully, looking for any signs of displeasure, most likely hoping he would get to punish her. For this reason only, Clary kept her face still. She wouldn't give her father the satisfaction of knowing she was dying inside. She hadn't let anything slip before, this would be no exception.

"Shall we head in?" Valentine asked innocently, with a wicked grin. The two guards opened the doors to the entrance hall as Clary sucked in a deep breath. _Here we go…_

The doors swung open and Clary walked in. She glanced around the room until she spotted the newcomers. _Two of which would be her potential husbands._ Even the thought made her head spin. _Keep it together, Clary_ , she thought. _Stay cool_.

"Ah! Here she is!" the page, Hodge, said brightly. He stepped aside nervously as Valentine strode towards him. Clary couldn't think of anyone who wasn't terrified of Valentine, and his right hand man was no exception. Valentine flicked his hand, indicating Hodge was to go. He scurried away once his was dismissed, and Clary scoffed at him. Hodge was weak, and a coward. He would do anything to appease Valentine. Clary at least prided herself in that she didn't outwardly appear to be scared of him. Underneath though, her and Hodge weren't really that different; they were both completely under the control of Valentine. As much as Clary might pretend otherwise, there was no denying it. She, along with everyone else, was helpless to him.

Clary looked upon the princes. The first one stood slightly apart from the group. He had the look of a prince, with the arrogant stance one usually possesses. He was tall, much taller than her. She guessed him to be 6'4", completely dwarfing her, at a mere 5 feet. She glanced up at his face and was taken aback. He was extremely pale, and his hair was almost white. His eyes were the most startling; they were so dark they looked black. The look somehow suited him, he was beautiful in a delicate way, but his eyes gave him a sinister look. His expression was haughty and there was something about him Clary was wary of. It reminded her a bit of the way Valentine looked when he had a plan. She made a note to be careful around him.

Her eyes moved to the bigger group. There was a girl with dark hair and eyes, and fine clothes. Clary wondered who it could be, since she clearly wasn't one of the suitors. A boy stood close to her, with the same hair but his eyes were bright blue. She decided they were siblings. But was he the prince? Then she noticed another boy. She took a breath. She had never seen someone so striking before. He seemed to be made of gold; his skin was gold, his hair was gold, even his eyes were gold. He was tall too, but not as tall as the white haired boy. She immediately knew he must be the other prince.

"Welcome to the Morgenstern kingdom!" Valentine boomed. "This is Princess Clarissa." Valentine pointed to her, and Clary felt all the eyes turn to her. She however kept her gave to the wall behind them, not wanting to seem interested. Her expression was almost lazy; she seemed to convey that she was bored with the whole thing.

"The pleasure is ours, King Valentine," said Golden Boy. Clary let her gaze move to him, and was surprised to find his eyes on her. He had the slightest smirk on his face, which Clary thought was a bit bold. She liked his voice though, it was warm and smooth. Clary made herself turn away; she didn't want to seem interested.

"Clarissa, this is Prince Jonathan, from the Herondale kingdom," her father said, pointing to Golden Boy. She was curious; she had heard many things about the Herondales. She held out her hand for him to kiss. His lips were warm on her skin. She drew her hand back. "And this is Prince Sebastian, of the Verlac kingdom" her father continued. The white haired boy stepped forwards, and Clary let him kiss her hand as well. She still couldn't get over the uneasy feeling she had around him.

"Nice to meet you," she had to be gracious, but she kept her expression blank. "And who are these two?" she asked, pointing to the dark haired siblings.

"This is Isabelle and Alec Lightwood, they are companions of Prince Jonathan," her father answered without missing a beat.

Isabelle curtsied, and she extended her hand to Alec, who kissed it.

"Welcome. I hope you find my residence most hospitable," Clary said, still unsmiling.

"I have a feeling we will," Sebastian said in a mischievous tone. Clary almost shivered; she did not trust him at all. But she simply smiled coolly.

"Would our guests like to be shown to their rooms, father? They must be tired after such a journey?" Clary asked, feigning innocence. Her father couldn't well deny this, so Clary would be safe, at least until dinner.

"Of course. I'll have someone show you to your rooms," Valentine said with a tight smile. He couldn't show his annoyance at Clary here, and Clary took this chance to make her exit.

"Now if you excuse me, I must retire to my room, it was lovely meeting you all," Clary said, and curtsied.

"But of course. Will we see you at dinner?" questioned Jonathan. Would they? Clary hoped not, but she suspected she would be forced. She looked at her father. He gave her a look, and she knew it wasn't up for discussion.

"Yes, you will," said Valentine, still looking at Clary. She nodded, and then turned around to leave.

"Come, Maia. I must get ready for dinner," Clary said while leaving, letting just a hint of mocking into her tone. She knew her father couldn't do anything about if in front of the princes, lest they suspect anything. After all, if they knew who he really was, there would be no chance of a merger with his kingdom. He had to remain civil to Clary for the duration of their visit, which had to be the only upside to this whole situation. Clary hurried up to her room, with Maia in tow.

Once she was safe in her room, she let out a shuddering sigh. Maia looked on cautiously.

"Is everything all right, princess?" asked Maia. Dear Maia, she was always so sweet. Maia was one of Clary's only true friends. Well, that's only if you can count someone who works for you a friend. She was the only one who might have a clue how Clary felt inside, and she was the only one who seemed to truly care. Of course there were other ladies she called friends, but none of them were, not really. Her father introduced her to them for political reasons, and if she didn't interact with them it would reflect poorly on him. Clary always found herself looking down on them; they were all so foolish, only caring about men and clothes and how they looked. In Clary's opinion, there were much better topics of discussion, and for this reason, she always felt slightly out of place when she was with them.

"Yes. No. I don't know. Oh Maia, whatever am I to do?" Clary was almost in tears. She took a breath. She couldn't break down, not now, not ever. She smiled, but her eyes were sad. Too sad for her age; they had seen too many horrors in her short lifetime than anyone should have to. "But alas, it is fine. I have two fine suitors, both worthy of my company, my only problem will be picking one!" She tried to sound upbeat, but they both knew it was a farce. Her smile wavered only slightly as she turned to her dressing table. She motioned for Maia to come over. Her hair was falling out, and it had to be fixed before dinner.

Maia undid the knot that was keeping her hair back, and let her crimson curls spill out. She gave them a quick brush before she started working on an intricate braid. Clary had the brightest red hair; it was almost orange, and it was curly as can be. She inherited it from her mother; Clary was like a miniature copy of her. It made Maia sad thinking of Jocelyn, knowing what had happened to her.

Clary sat completely still, staring at herself in the mirror as Maia fixed her hair. Her green eyes stared back. She took in her whole face, with its small nose covered in freckles, shining green eyes with fringed lashes, and small bow lips. Clary had never seen herself as pretty, since all anyone could do was compare her to her mother. She always felt bad whenever she went into town; everyone had loved Jocelyn, and people often mistook Clary for her. She felt guilty for not being her, everyone had been sad when Jocelyn died, and no one wanted to see her ghost around town. That was why Clary preferred to stay inside. It was better to avoid the stares and double takes she got whenever she went into town.

"Finished, miss." Maia's voice snapped her out of her reverie.

"Thank you Maia. Will you fetch my green dress? I want to make a good impression." The emerald green dress was Clary's favourite; it made her eyes stand out and her hair look less wild. Maia went to get it, and Clary admired the braid. Maia had left a few stray curls to frame her face, and Clary thought she actually looked quite nice; Maia had done a good job. Her father would be pleased.

Maia brought over the gown and helped her dress in silence. Once she was dressed, Clary paced the room. Finally, someone knocked at the door. Maia answered.

"It's time for dinner, princess," she said quietly. She held the door open, and Clary made her way downstairs. She wondered what dinner would entail.

So that's the first chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed, please review! Also, just to clarify, Jonathan is Jace, I just used Jonathan because it seemed more formal, Valentine wouldn't have used a childhood nickname. Clary will learn more about him next chapter. :)

Also, I was wondering if I should do a Jace POV? I kind of want to, but I'm not sure, so let me know what you think!

That's all, ciao for now! ❤︎


	2. Chapter 2

**Finally finished chapter 2! Thank you so so much to all of you who followed, favourited, or reviewed! You have no idea how happy it made me! :)**

 **I don't really know how I feel about this chapter, it's a little short, and I'll try to have them longer from now on.**

 **I hope you all enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: still not Cassandra Clare :(**

Chapter 2

Jace walked behind the page that was showing him to his room. He supposed he should pay attention to the castle, so he would be able to find his way around later, but his mind was elsewhere. He couldn't stop thinking about the princess. He hadn't originally been planning on seriously considering a marriage contract with the Morgenstern kingdom. After all, why would he? Jace knew well enough that Valentine was the most ruthless, well, cruel really, king that anyone had ever seen. It made sense that his daughter would be the same, and he didn't really want to get involved with the twisted politics that went hand in hand with Valentine. But he knew he couldn't refuse direct invitation from him. So he thought he would go, bring Alec and Isabelle, pretend he was considering it, and go straight back home. And that was still his plan, but… something about Clarissa intrigued him. He couldn't quite put his finger on what made him so drawn to her. Jace felt like he could look at her all day and he wouldn't get tired of it. She had seemed almost bored when they were introduced, but he thought he could see something else below the surface. _For now,_ he thought _, I'll at least get to know her. That can't hurt._

"Here you are, Your Highness," said the page. Jace waved him away, muttering a quick thanks. He opened the door and looked around the room. It was fairly large, not as large as his room back home, but that was to be expected. He walked over to the bed and sat down. He was pleased with the room, and decided he wouldn't mind spending awhile here. Now to find where Alec and Isabelle were staying. If only he had been paying attention.

He set off down the hall. No one gave Jace a second glance as he strode along the castle. They had probably gotten used to looking the other way when something strange was going on, what with living in a castle with Valentine as the king. He reached the end of the hallway and turned right. There was a set of stairs that went up, so he decided to climb them when he reached the top, there was a short hallway that seemed to be decorated much nicer than where Jace was staying. He assumed this must be where either the king or the princess stayed. He knew he should probably leave, but he was curious. He took a few steps and came face to face with a girl. His heart jumped, thinking it might be Clary, but this girl was much too tall. Looking again, she was nothing like Clary, and was clearly a servant.

"Excuse me sir, but you can't be here," she said timidly. Looking almost afraid of him. He felt bad that the people who worked here had learned to be afraid of any newcomers.

"I'm sorry," he smiled at the girl, who didn't react, "I'm visiting the castle, and I don't really know my way around yet."

"These are the princess's chambers," she said. So Jace was right. "And you can't be here."

"Alright then. Thank you," Jace smiled again, and made a mental note to remember this hallway. He went back down the stairs and was turning a corner, when he bumped right into someone else. He really was having a bad day for running into people.

"Watch it," snarled the boy, and Jace realized he had run into Sebastian. He didn't trust the other prince; something about him just rubbed Jace the wrong way. He stepped back and eyed the other boy.

"Sorry, Sebastian, I guess I just wasn't looking," Jace said, but there was an edge to his tone. Sebastian glared at him.

"Just get out of my way," he growled, and stalked off. Jace raised his eyebrows. Now he had an extra incentive with the whole marriage thing: if Clarissa chose him, Jace would have the satisfaction of beating Sebastian. Jace headed back down his hall and knocked on doors until someone finally opened one. It was Isabelle, and she let him into her room.

"Nice place," Jace remarked as he looked around. Her room was different than his, it was brighter and seemed airier. Jace's room had dark wood and the colours were dark reds, Isabelle's room had a lighter look with whites and light blues.

"It is, isn't it? I think I'm going to like staying here," she commented. "So," she said with a devilish grin, "what do you think of the princess?"

Jace thought about this. What did he think of the princess? "Well," he started, "she's pretty-"

"Oh, she's beautiful!" gushed Izzy. "But go on, go on!"

"And um, she seems interesting," Jace didn't really know what to say, so he trailed off.

"Well I think you'll like her. She looks like she's got some attitude."

Jace laughed. Of course Isabelle would talk about the princess as if she were just one of the girls she socialized with.

"You know what? I think so too," Jace said, and he believed it. "Do you know where Alec is?"

Isabelle led him down the hallway to where her brother was staying. They sat in Alec's room until it was time for dinner. Jace was surprisingly excited. He wanted to learn more about the mysterious princess.

:::

When Clary arrived at dinner, everyone else was already seated. The only empty spot was between Jonathan and Sebastian. She slid into her seat without a word.

"Clarissa. How nice of you to join us," Valentine boomed with a mocking smile. She forced herself to smile back, and said nothing. She was just going to get this meal by saying as little as possible. That was usually what she did when dealing with Valentine. The servants started bringing out the food, and they began to eat. Clary was just starting to cut her chicken when Valentine spoke again.

"I was just thinking it would be beneficial if you got to know our guests. After all, you will be spending quite a bit of time with them," Valentine said. Clary wasn't sure how she should respond so she stayed quiet, and simply nodded. "So tomorrow," Valentine continued, "I thought you could spend the day with one of the princes."

She was about to stutter out a reply when someone else cut in.

"I would be happy to spend the day with the princess," said Jonathan. 'That is, if she wouldn't mind." Clary was surprised, and she turned to face him. He had a small smirk on his face is if he already knew she would say yes.

"Certainly, Prince Jonathan, it would be most pleasing to spend the day with you," Clary said, and she smiled for real for the first time all day. She turned away quickly, and replaced her smile with her usual indifferent expression, but she knew he had seen it. When she snuck another glance, he was still looking at her, and smiling. She cursed herself for being silly. Now was not the time to smile, now was the time to be careful. That was a lesson Jonathan would have to learn.

"And of course, I would ask the princess to accompany me the day after?" Sebastian intervened. His face showed no signs of unease, but Clary knew he was scrambling to get back in the game.

"Of course," Clary said with a tight smile, not quite looking him in the eye. There was only a bit of small talk after that, which Clary did her best to stay out of. She found herself sneaking glances at Jonathan, and to her surprise, he was looking at her too. The only difference was when she was caught she blushed bright red, whereas he only smirked at her.

Over the course of dinner she learned a bit about Alec and Isabelle, and she thought they seemed like pretty nice people. Alec didn't seem very talkative, and Isabelle engaged in far more conversation than he did. Apparently Alec and Isabelle had been friends with Jonathan since he was a child, and they were like family. They seemed like very nice people, and Clary wondered what they thought of her.

Dinner seemed to drag on for ages, as if everyone wanted to keep her here for as long as they could. Sebastian certainly did. She could feel his eyes on her all night, and he kept trying to ask her questions. She answered what she had to, but mostly ignored him. Finally, it seemed to be drawing to a close. Everyone said something polite about how much they liked the food and began to get up. Once Valentine made his exit, Sebastian turned to Clary.

"Walk me to my room?" he said with a grin that didn't quite make it to his black eyes. They still unsettled Clary. She definitely didn't want to spend any more time with him than she had to.

"I would, but I'm afraid my room is in the complete opposite direction," she said with what she hoped was an apologetic smile. She just hoped he would believe her; her room was actually quite near the guest hall.

"That is most unfortunate. See you tomorrow, then?" Sebastian conceded. He looked only mildly discouraged. Clary nodded and set off away from him. She ended up going out to the stables and walked around. She hadn't been here for a while. These days she mostly kept to her section of the castle. She left the stables and wandered around. She passed the kitchen and the ballroom. She didn't run into anyone until all of a sudden, there was Jonathan. She stepped back and looked up at him.

"Jonathan! What are you doing here? Isn't your room on the other side of the castle?" she asked him. To her surprise, he turned bright red. She almost laughed; Clary never thought he would be embarrassed about anything.

"Uhhh… probably," he said cringing. This time she did laugh.

"What, are you lost?" Clary asked jokingly. He laughed and shook his head, ashamed.

"Yes," he groaned. "I wasn't really paying attention when I was lead to my rooms and now I can't find it" Now Clary was really laughing.

"I'll show you the way back," she offered.

"Thank goodness! I was beginning to think I would have to wander the castle all night!"

"In fact," Clary started, "I could give you a tour of the castle… But only if you promise to pay attention!" He laughed and put his hand on the heart.

"I swear to devote my utmost attention to your tour," he said in a serious tone.

"Alright then," smiling, she started taking him around the castle. She showed him every room. She knew the castle so well, as she had been in every room millions of times. He seemed to enjoy the tour, and kept asking her questions about things that had happened in each room, or why she liked it. She found it kind of odd, since no one had really ever been curious about her life before. Clary wasn't sure it was wise to go telling her whole life story to someone who was virtually a stranger, so she mostly told stories about her and her brother, whose name was also Jonathan, from when she was really young, too young for anything to start going wrong.

"Where is your brother? I didn't even know you had one," Jace asked after they left the kitchen. Clary bit her lip. She figured he would ask at some point, so she knew she had to tell him.

"My brother died when he was 15, I was 12…" Clary trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"I'm so sorry Clarissa, I never knew. That must be awful," Jace said, and he seemed to be genuinely sorry. He reached out a hand to touch her shoulder but stopped just before he made contact, as if he wasn't sure what was okay. When she made no move to turn away, he rested it on her shoulder. It was oddly comforting, and it made her realize how little anyone touched her. Certainly her father didn't.

She shook her head and smiled up at him.

"It's fine. It was awhile ago, I've come to terms with it," she said, even though she really hadn't. What had happened to her brother haunted to her to this day. He didn't look convinced, but they kept walking. They stayed quiet for a while, but soon found themselves laughing and talking just as they had been before. Clary didn't know why it was so easy to talk to him. She had grown up being taught that no one was to be trusted, and that no one was who they seemed. But he was different than anyone she'd ever met.

They burst out of the servants' hall and Clary realized that was the last stop on the tour.

"Well, Jonathan, was your tour satisfactory?" she asked with a smile.

"It was actually, and you can call me Jace if you want," Jonathan said.

"Jace? How do you get Jace from Jonathan?" she questioned.

"My middle name is Christopher. Jonathan Christopher, J.C., Jace. Only my friends call me that, you don't have to if you don't want to," he shrugged.

"Does this mean I'm your friend, Jace?" she said with a smirk.

"I guess so," he laughed. Clary actually preferred Jace. It fit him better than Jonathan; Jonathan seemed so formal. Jace just seemed right for him. Not to mention every time she said Jonathan it brought back memories of her brother.

"Well if I'm calling you Jace, you can call me Clary"

"Alright then, Clary," Jace smiled.

They walked down the hall back to where the guest rooms are.

"Now to find which room is yours," Clary said. "Was it at the end of the hall?"

"I think so," Jace said. They continued to the end of the hall. Finally Jace stopped at a door. "This one!" he declared.

He opened the door, and, sure enough, it was his. Clary turned to go. Jace stopped her, grabbing her hand.

"Thank you, for um, showing me around," Jace said, his cheeks turning the lightest shade of pink. She smiled shyly.

"My pleasure Jace, I just hope I did a good job. I wouldn't want you to get lost again," she said.

"Ah, but if I did you would have to show me around again, so I wouldn't mind" Jace smirked. "Goodnight, Clary."

"Goodnight, Jace," Clary left his room and started walking back to hers. Even though it was late she didn't feel the least bit tired. She couldn't get Jace out of her head. He was nothing like she'd ever seen before. Every time he smiled, she wanted to smile too. She got ready for bed as if in a trance.

"Everything alright, miss?" Maia asked as she combed Clary's hair.

"Yes, Maia. Everything is fine," she said. And, for the first time, she meant it.

:::

Jace lay in bed, unable to sleep. He couldn't stop thinking about the princess. When he had first met her she had seemed cold and distant. But then at dinner, when he spoke to her, she had seemed a bit warmer, and he had seen her smile for the first time. He couldn't keep his eyes off her. And then there was the tour. Clary had been a completely different person. She was laughing and joking around. When he brought up her brother she had gone distant again, but it didn't last. She was a bit of a mystery to Jace. Whenever she was around her father it was as if she were behind a mask, but then when she was alone with Jace, she opened up. He found himself looking forward to their day tomorrow, and to figuring out what was behind Clary's changes in personality.

When he finally fell asleep, it was with a smile on his face.

 **Jace's POV! I loved writing as him, and I'm probably going to be doing it pretty often. And the beginnings of Clace? ;) Also, I know I was pretty vague about Clary's brother but he will come into play more later on. Be sure to review and tell me what you think!**

 **Ciao for now!**

 **(P.S. I forgot to bold my commentary last time, sorry! )**


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